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Without You (song)
|DS = |album = Born to Die |previous = "This Is What Makes Us Girls" |next = "Lolita" }} "Without You" (originally titled "China Doll") is a song by Lana Del Rey from her second studio album, and first major-label release, Born to Die. It serves as the first bonus track from the album. Background Del Rey first performed "Without You" (then known as "China Doll") on the first official show of the Born to Die Tour at the Ruby Lounge in Manchester on November 4, 2011. The track was written with Sacha Skarbek and produced by Emile Haynie. The first demo of the song leaked on June 7, 2012, featuring Del Rey singing over a keyboard and different lyrics in the chorus of the song. A second demo of the song surfaced later with the same vocal take as the album version over a piano instrumental, as a live studio recording. Both demos omit the final repeat of the chorus that is present in the final cut. Composition A dramatic pop ballad, "Without You" runs for 3 minutes and 49 seconds at approximately 112 beats per minute in the key of E♭ minor. The song features electric guitars, distorted vocal samples, keyboards, synthesised bass, artificial drum sounds with heavy delay, with Del Rey's voice layered multiple times throughout the chorus with reverb to give a fuller sound. It uses the same male background vocals found in "Lolita", "Blue Jeans", "National Anthem" and "Dark Paradise", of a spoken line from a live performance of "Mary Jane" by Rick James. Structurally it follows the typical verse-chorus structure with the final chorus repeated. Cross-references *The American dream is also referenced in "Radio" and "Damn You", among other songs. *The phrase "my life is sweet" is used in "Radio". *Del Rey mentions rivieras in "Fucked My Way Up to the Top". *The first line of the chorus is also used in the bridge of "Hollywood". *The line "your love is deadly" is thematically similar to "everybody said you're a killer" from "White Mustang". *The phrase "life is beautiful" is a direct reference to the song of the same name, and is present in the chorus of "Black Beauty". *Some lyrics are mirrored in "Damn You" such as "hello, hello" and the first two lines of the bridge. *The melody during the lyrics "hello, hello" is echoed in "Lust for Life" during the lyrics "take off, take off". *Del Rey also sings "if I can't have you" in "Jealous Girl". *Referenced in "Gangsta Boy". Official versions * Album version — 3:49 * Demo version 1 — 3:06 * Demo version 2 — 3:05 Lyrics Album version Demo version one Demo version two Credits ;Personnel *Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting *Sacha Skarbek — songwriting, vocal production, Omnichord *Emile Haynie — production, keyboard, guitar, drums *Lorenzo Cosi — engineering *Larry Gold — strings arrangement and conduction *Steve Tirpak — string assistance *Dan Heath — additional strings *Dan Grech Marguerat — mixing *Duncan Fuller — mixing assistance *John Davis — mastering ;Technical *Published by EMI / Universal *Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London, United Kingdom *Mixed at Miloco's Engine Room, London, United Kingdom Category:Born to Die songs Category:Songs Category:Paradise Tour songs Category:Born to Die Tour songs Category:Born to Die bonus tracks Category:Released songs Category:Bonus tracks